On February 19, 2026, in Boston, Stellaromics announced the launch of Pyxa™, the pioneering commercial platform designed for multiplexed 3D spatial transcriptomics in intact tissue up to 100 micrometers thick. This marks a transformative leap in spatial biology, moving away from traditional 2D methods that only analyze thin slices of tissue. With Pyxa, researchers can now obtain a complete three-dimensional view of cellular arrangements and microenvironments, capturing the natural architecture of tissues.
During a limited Early Access Program, the initial offering of Pyxa will be available to select research institutions and biotech/pharmaceutical organizations, with commercial access based on a first-come, first-served basis. The formal debut of Pyxa is set to occur at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) meeting, which takes place next week in Orlando, Florida.
Dr. Todd Dickinson, the CEO of Stellaromics, articulated the necessity for a platform that transcends the limitations of existing spatial transcriptomics technologies. He stated, "Every spatial transcriptomics platform on the market today forces researchers to infer 3D biology from flat sections. Our goal was to eliminate that compromise. Today we are thrilled to announce the official launch of Pyxa, a spatial multi-omics platform that captures tissue architecture as it exists in nature — cellular neighborhoods, gradients, and interactions across multiple layers simultaneously. Pyxa gives researchers the tool they've needed to finally move spatial biology into three dimensions."
Prior to its commercial launch, Pyxa underwent rigorous testing and refinement in a beta program, where it was deployed at three esteemed research institutions:
1.
University of Glasgow: Here, Dr. Nigel Jamieson’s team utilized Pyxa to investigate tumor invasion dynamics, exploring the 3D structure of tumor microenvironments across various cancer types, including pancreatic, colorectal, and brain cancers.
2.
University of California, Irvine: Dr. Rui Chen's lab employed the platform for detailed 3D mapping of the retina, contributing to the Human Cell Atlas initiative.
3.
Emory University School of Medicine: Dr. Hailing Shi's group used Pyxa to delve into RNA regulation and the molecular organization within neural tissues.
The insights gained from these beta partners have led to significant enhancements in the commercial version of Pyxa, which is now shipping to Early Access customers. Stellaromics is committed to continuously improving the platform's features in collaboration with its rapidly expanding user community.
Pyxa offers unparalleled subcellular resolution for evaluating hundreds of molecular targets within untouched tissue sections. This innovation allows researchers to:
- - Unravel complex 3D tissue organization, a detail often lost in thin-section methods.
- - Examine cell-to-cell interactions and spatial dynamics across various cellular layers.
- - Map molecular gradients and microenvironments that are critical to understanding disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses.
- - Utilize PyxaStudio™, specialized software tailored for visualizing and analyzing volumetric spatial datasets.
At the AGBT conference, which runs from February 23 to 26, Stellaromics will demonstrate the capabilities of Pyxa. Noteworthy events include:
- - A podium presentation featuring whole-retina 3D spatial data produced using Pyxa, to be presented by Dr. Chris Mason from Weill Cornell Medicine on February 25 at 7:45 PM. This will be one of the first showcases of data generated with the Pyxa platform.
- - A panel discussion on February 25 at 3 PM, where experts, including Dr. Nigel Jamieson from the University of Glasgow and Dr. Ioannis Vlachos from Harvard Medical School, will examine the future of 3D spatial biology and the evolving applications of spatial multi-omics, moderated by Dr. Todd Dickinson.
- - In-suite demonstrations available in the Escambia suite during AGBT will allow participants to engage with the Early Access Program and witness live demonstrations of Pyxa in action.
Stellaromics, a privately held company based in Boston, Massachusetts, is focused on advancing the field of 3D spatial multi-omics. Originating from the cutting-edge labs of Karl Deisseroth at Stanford University and Xiao Wang at MIT and the Broad Institute, Stellaromics aims to provide researchers with the tools necessary to research biological systems with enriched spatial resolution and context, paving the way for medical discoveries that can improve human health.